Showdown at La Rousse!
by DarkBlaziken
Summary: My First Contestshipping fic and long fic!Pls R&R! Destiny Deoxys, but Ash's not the main character, and Deoxys is up for something else...T rated just to be safe. not a lot of contestshipping...at least no kissing.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Chapter I—The Beginning

The sun was setting, painting the sky beautiful shades of red, yellow and pink. Waves lapped the shore as the sea was turned a silvery shade of green by the orange-ish setting sun. A boy with hair the same colour as the sea was standing there alone, the wind making gentle ripples in his hair. His emerald eyes stared at the horizon for no apparent reason. Above him hovered a dragon-like creature with bulging eyes. A small plant-like creature with two roses for hands stood beside him and a moth-like creature perched on his shoulder.

"Drew," said a familiar voice.

He turned and saw another boy, his messy jet-black hair hidden beneath his cap and a furry electric mouse rested on his arm.

"Oh, hi, Ash," Drew said stiffly.

"What're you doing all alone here?" Ash plonked himself down on the soft sand. To his surprise, Drew followed.

"Nothing," Drew lied. In his mind, the contest that had just passed was still afresh. _How could I lose to May? _His heart inevitably missed a beat. _Why do I always get this weird feeling nowadays when I think about May? No_, he told himself firmly, _stop being so sensitive to her. She's your rival after all…_

"I know what you are thinking. The contest. And May." Drew stared at him. How on earth did he know everything? Keeping his voice as normal as possible, he sneered, "May and I are rivals. I'm just angry she beat me. That's all. Well, I'll have to train more, I guess. She's still a wimp to me." he laughed his cold laugh, but it came out a little shaky.

Ash winked knowingly. "but yet you don't see a person telling his _rival_ that someone is deceiving her, and helping her." _He was referring to the time Harley cheated May_, thought Drew bitterly. _Great. Now I don't know what to say. _Seeing Drew in silence, Ash continued, "Don't try to hide from me. I know you like May."

"How'd you be so sure?" Drew demanded. "I…I…we are rivals!" he finished lamely. But he could not stand the pressure of the situation anymore. "Fine! I like May! So what?" Somehow he felt relieved now.

Ash beamed. "Then tell her," he said simply.

Drew gaped at him. "But…but don't you like May?" he wished he had not asked that question.

Ash frowned. "I treated her like a sister, but that's all. Really. But I did have this good friend…she's in Kanto…" he trailed off.

"I bet you like her," Drew said quickly. Ash just sighed, which he took for a "yes". Getting back on May, Drew went, "But tell her? She'd…"

Reading Drew's mind, Ash went, "Nah. In fact I think she'd appreciate it a lot. She likes you too."

"You…you sure?"

"Positive." Ash got up. "Well, see you soon! Think about it."

On the other side of the coast sat a girl with a red bandanna and russet brown hair. A large butterfly-like creature was on her head, and a small catlike creature as well as a chicken-like creature with long claws sat beside her. She, too, was thinking about the contest. _Never thought, I'd beat Drew,_ she though happily. But her smile faded almost immediately. She could never forget Drew's disappointed look, but all the same he flicked his silvery green hair and sneered—he did look cute whenever he did that. She suddenly caught herself. _No,_ she told herself firmly. _Drew's your rival. _But she just couldn't get him out of her mind…his roses…he had helped me once…was it possible that-? Suddenly, she was snapped out of her trance by a familiar call.

"May!" A small boy of no more than seven, with large square glasses came running up the beach.

"Oh hi Max." Max sat down beside her. He eyed her suspiciously. "Come on sister, don't tell me you're thinking about Drew again."

May blushed. "You shut up. As if I like him."

Max smiled mischievously. "Don't be so secretive. If you like him just tell him. I know you do, don't deny."

May sighed. "But he will think I am crazy or something!"

To that Max replied, "He likes you. I can tell. Just go ahead and tell him. Well, I gotta go. See you at dinner!" and he raced off.

Which left May feeling very confused.

Suddenly, she heard a rustle of footsteps, turned around, and saw Drew. "Why're you here?" she demanded.

"Why not?" he sneered. Without saying anything else, he handed her another rose.

May looked surprised but delighted. Keeping her face straight, she said in a casual tone, "Is this for Combusken now?"

"Something like that. Oh yeah, you won't be seeing me around soon, I am going back to my homeland." Drew shrugged, and melted away into the dark before May could say another word.

May stared at the rose. Ash said that they would be going somewhere too…for the battle tower challenge…what was the place called? La something. Sighing quietly to herself, she got up and went off to join the rest for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival at La Rousse

Chapter II—Arrival at La Rousse

La Rousse city, or the Russet-Red One when loosely translated, is a place with advanced technology, and is well-known for its Battle Tower.

"Finally! We're here!" Ash exclaimed. "La Rousse City! And the Battle Tower!"

May looked around in fascination. _Wow,_ she thought. _Such a high technology area. Why's it called La Rousse? This place sure was going to be a wonderful place to explore. _"Come on! Let's go and find something to eat, I'm starving." She dragged the whole group, including a very reluctant Ash ("I need to get that symbol first!") to a nearby fast-food restaurant. Instead of people at the counters, robots took their place; everything was machine controlled, from the frying of fries to the ordering of drinks. Ash sniffed the air and relented somewhat, though grudgingly. After ordering and receiving their food (which was a considerably short process), the four of them sat down to enjoy a sumptuous lunch. Just in the middle of their meal, they were interrupted by a voice May knew so well, causing her to swallow her food too quickly and choke.

"What _are _the load of you doing _here_?" Drew looked at them as though they were extraterrestrials from outer space.

May caught her breath and gasped, "Because…we are travelling here, you jerk! Ash's coming to get his symbol. Anyway, I thought you were going back to your hometown? What are _you_ doing here?"

"That's because it _is _my hometown, stupid!" Drew exclaimed angrily.

May was at a loss of what to say. Finally she found her voice again. "But you're definitely coming for a _reason_…don't tell me there's a _contest_ here?"

Drew grinned, and something about his grin made May smile too. "I guess you _aren't _that stupid after all. Yeah, there's a contest and I can't wait to beat you again."

That did it. May flared up at once. "Oh yeah? Just wait till I beat you up badly! I've done it once already…_loser_!!!"

Drew flicked his hair coolly. "Well then, see you on the contest! I bet you still have no idea what Pokémon to use yet!" Before May could retaliate, he had vanished.

May flopped herself down on her seat, fuming. _Just you wait, Drew_, she thought angrily. _I must beat you this time. _

"Cool it, May," Max patted his sister on the back. "Just ignore him."

"Yeah," added Ash. Drew reminded him a lot about Gary, though he was not as bad, Ash knew how irritating it could be.

"Come on you two! Wake up!" Ash and May shook Brock and Max, calling in unison.

"I can't wait for my symbol!" excitement was written all over Ash's face.

"And my ribbon!" May did not look less enthralled. _Calm down, _she said to herself, _have confidence._

Brock and Max woke up, muttering something under their breath. Sometimes it could be very annoying to have such enthusiastic travelling partners—especially when they wake you up at 5 a.m.

"I'm off to training! See you guys!" Ash sprinted off without further ado.

"Me too!" yelled May and she too disappeared.

"Don't the two of them want breakfast?" Max grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Who are you going to support?"

"Ash's battle, I reckon." Brock's speech was slurred. Nurse Joy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked them if they wanted breakfast. Brock was immediately fully awake and Max had to get him out of trouble. Soon, the two of them were just as awake as May and Ash.

"_Honestly._" Max tutted. "Well, in that case I would go and support May. Hey! Are you listening?" Max reached over and pulled Brock's ear again, who was still staring at Nurse Joy, a dazed expression on his face.

"Finally! The Battle Tower!" Ash's elatedness was unable to be expressed in words. Without much hesitation, he sprinted into the building, and was greeted by a weird looking person whom he could not determine the gender yet.

"Hello, challenger. I'm Anabel. May I help you?" she caught Ash's face and blushed a little.

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town and I'm challenging the Frontier Brain here." Ash made a mental note that this person was female.

"I'm the Frontier Brain you are looking for. Please come into the battlefield." Anabel led the way.

"Hello. I'm May from Petalburg City and I want to register for the upcoming contest." May was at the counter when Drew appeared.

"So…decided what Pokémon to use yet?" he drawled.

"Yeah," she snapped.

"Will all the coordinators please come to the contest hall's preparation area now?" a voice rang out over the megaphone. May and Drew looked at each other one last time before dashing off.


	3. Chapter 3: Contest Showdown!

Chapter III—Contest Showdown!

"And now, let us see the performance of May from Petalburg City!" the MC declared in a distinct voice.

May stumbled a little as she got up. But as she stepped onto the stage, all her fears disappeared. _This was just another contest_, she told herself. _Everything would be all right…_

"Go Combusken! Fire Spin!" What came out could not be seen; all was seen was a burst of flame, travelling in spirals. "Now jump through the spiral and use Sky Uppercut!" What was seen next was a blinding flash, followed by a shower of fiery rain. A chicken like Pokémon landed sturdily on his feet, sinking into a bow.

"29.5! That's a hard score to beat!" announced the MC. May was relieved. She had done pretty well. "Next up, we have Drew from La Rousse City!"

Distinct cheers from Drew's fans could be heard. May said nothing; she just watched him quietly. He strode onto the stage, looking as confident as ever. "Go Absol! Use Shadow Ball, then Fire Blast!"

A black and white Pokémon sprang out from the pokeball, and launched a huge ball then many smaller red ones which formed a circle around the bigger one. "Faint Attack, then Razor Wind!" Absol disappeared from view, then a shining horn appeared, followed by a gust of wind that seemed to slice through the air, breaking up the fireball and shadow-like ball formation to what seemed like beautiful fireworks. When everything disappeared, Absol reappeared, landing in a cool pose.

"29.8! An almost perfect score!" Roaring cheers erupted again. Drew was soon out of sight._ Will those irritating fans ever stop cheering? I'd better find May._

"Great appeal," came a voice. May was standing behind him.

"Thanks." He flipped his hair coolly again. "Listen, you'd better get into the finals, I'd want to beat you."

May scowled. She saw her name appear, and soon found out that she would be fighting against someone called Bernice, and Drew against some weird guy who calls himself YY. She watched Drew get ready for the battle, and stopped him before he went onto the stage. Drew stared at her.

"Well…good luck." May could feel herself blushing. Drew smiled.

"Same to you," he said before disappearing.

"Now, let the battle commence!" the MC said.

"Go Absol!"

"Go Altaria!"

"Absol, Shadow Ball!" a dark ball appeared and shot at Altaria.

"Dodge!" Altaria swerved, but the Shadow Ball was too fast for her. It hit one side of its soft, cottony wings, and left it whimpering in pain.

"Altaria, Dragonbreath!" a greenish spurt of fire aimed directly for Absol.

Drew flicked his hair. "Counter with Razor Wind." He seemed bored by this.

The gust of wind literally sliced the Dragonbreath, causing it to divert sideways.

"Now Faint Attack and Slash." Drew seemed to be in no hurry at all.

Absol disappeared. Altaria looked around, confused. Without warning, gleaming claws stretched out from nowhere, causing a long slash mark on Altaria's neck. Altaria could not take it anymore. It keeled over and fainted.

"Drew is the winner! Congratulations on getting into the finals!" More catcalling from the fans. Drew really wanted Flygon to use Sandstorm so he could escape from this, but he didn't.

"Next up, we have May and Bernice!"

May stepped up. "Go Combusken!" She could see Max cheering her on and smiled at him.

"Go Clefairy!"

"Combusken, Double Kick and Flamethrower!"

A stream of fire obscured Combusken from view. The next moment, fiery kicks landed on the unsuspecting Clefairy.

"Oh no! Pound!"

A weak tackle aimed for Combusken.

"Use Sky Uppercut to deflect!"

Combusken simply extended his claws and gave an upward slash on the down coming Clefairy. When Clefairy landed on the ground again, it had been knocked out.

"May wins! Congratulations!" Max was cheering wildly. "Next up, the final battle between May and Drew!"

May gave Combusken a grateful hug, whispering, "Go Combusken … you've beat Drew once…do it again…"

Drew strode up, Absol by his side, and a rose in his hand.

"Let the battle begin!"

He flicked his hair and threw the rose. "Use faint Attack, then Razor Wind!"

"Combusken, Fire Spin into the air!"

The Fire Spin dropped down to form a fire rain, spattering on Absol an forcing it to reappear, horn aglow.

"Sky Uppercut!"

Just then, Absol released the Razor Wind. The two attacks collided, and Combusken fell back, panting.

May commanded, "Flamethrower!" just when Drew called out "Shadow Ball!"

The two attacks once again met in mid air, exploding to form thick smoke. However, when the smoke parted, the darkness did not go away. Something had just crashed into the contest hall.

A purple gem like crystal.

It suddenly morphed—into a creature with long tentacle-like arms and an evil looking face. Its body was red and turquoise all over, and on its chest, the purple gem was embedded in. Everyone barely glimpsed it when it swept past, bringing darkness everywhere. They could hear screaming of young children, and then the darkness finally passed, as suddenly as it had come. Only that something was not right. May was staring at something in horror.

"What's wrong?" asked Drew.

It took May several moments before she replied in a weak tone.

"Max—Max's gone!"

--

A/N: just in case you're wondering, the opponents are, or were, my real rivals. so i do not own them, and i do not WANT to own them. i made them quite lousy i know, just to like, expel my hatred. the lousier the character, the more i hate him/her. so yeah i think you know who i hate more...(i mean compare a Clefairy to an Altaria...)


	4. Chapter 4: Max's Disappearance

Chapter IV—Max's Disappearance

May grabbed Combusken to prevent herself from collapsing. _No, _she told herself, _this could not have happened…Max must be somewhere…_

She scanned the seats desperately. Not a soul. _So Max was taken by the thing…whatever it was…_

"May, are you all right? You look pale." The voice brought her sharply back to earth. Drew looked concerned.

May shot him an angry look. "Max's gone and you expect me to be ALL RIGHT?" _No, he did not understand. He wouldn't. I need to find Max. Now. _Without another moment's hesitation, she shot out of the contest hall.

"Ouch!"

May fell to the floor. Panting heavily, she picked herself up and dashed off.

"Hang on, May!"

She turned around. Ash was running over. "Where's Max? I thought he's with you?"

"Max's…been…taken…" Her lips trembled. Tears started pouring suddenly from her eyes. "I…need…to…find him!" she said between sobs.

"But how?" Ash had an incredulous look on his face. "We don't know where he is…was he taken away by the Black Thing?"

"You saw it too?" asked May. "Well, I—"

The rest of her sentence was drowned by a loud announcement. "Everyone please pay attention. We have spotted an unknown Pokémon in our city, which has been identified as Deoxys, the DNA pokémon, by our experts. It seems to have taken all young children as hostage, and appears to want to destroy the world. Please do not panic, the experts are currently thinking of a way to stop it. Meanwhile, please cooperate and not try to disturb it in any way. Thank you. It is said that Deoxys is heading for—"

Where Deoxys was heading for they never found out, as the loudspeaker suddenly became faulty, and weak screams could be heard.

"So Max was taken away by Deoxys?" May was shocked. "A legendary pokémon…" Ash flipped out Dexter.

"Deoxys, the DNA pokémon. Deoxys emerged from a virus that came from space. It is highly intelligent and wields psychokinetic powers. This pokémon shoots lasers from the crystalline organ from its chest."

"There you are, May!" Drew ran over, panting slightly. "You heard the announcement, didn't you? There's nothing much you can do…It's a legendary Pokémon, isn't it? It's going to be hundreds of times stronger than Combusken or any pokémon you've seen…you've got trouble defeating _my_ pokémon, let alone a _legendary_…_"_

"Oh, shut up, Mr. Arrogant! You all don't understand! You don't have a younger brother; you don't _know_ how it feels like! Now I'm going to find Deoxys and that's _that_!" hot tears stained her cheeks and she ran off. _Those people don't know how I feel…no one ever understands me! Except for Max…oh…Max…I hope you're all right…_

"Honestly, I don't think that was the right time to joke, Drew," Ash said severely. "You'd better go and—hey! Where is he?" Drew had disappeared, just like May.


	5. Chapter 5: The Search for Deoxys!

sorry forgot to include DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON AND THE FOLLOWING IS PURELY FICTIONAL.

Chapter V—The Search for Deoxys!

May stopped to catch her breath. _Great, like this I'd never find Max alive…_she couldn't bear it anymore. Even thinking about Max was painful to her. A gust of unnatural wind swept past her, and the next moment a Flygon had landed in front of her. And on the Flygon's back was—

"Hey, May, sorry about just now. Anyway you'd never make it there at that pace. Hop on." Drew looked at the surprised May.

"You're—you're coming with me? Not joking?" May stared in disbelief. Drew was _coming_? With _her?_

"There's no time to joke." He sounded serious. "Quick, hop on if you still want to find Max alive."

She gratefully climbed up Flygon's back. There was a sudden swooping of wings, and they rose higher and higher. May lost her balance and nearly toppled over, but there was nothing in sight that she could grab on to. She tried Flygon's tail, and would certainly have fallen off if Drew had not grabbed her on time.

May whispered a word of thanks. "Is there anything I can hold on to? Like a handle or something?"

Drew laughed. "Hello, do you expect _handles_ on a Flygon's back? You can hold on to me, if you don't mind." He turned around to hide his blush.

May scowled. "Remember that I'm holding on to you _only _because there's nothing else to hold on to!" Grudgingly she held on to his shoulders.

"Well, here goes—" Drew squeezed Flygon's sides and it soared higher and higher. May's grip tightened, then loosened; something wasn't right. May seemed to be—

"Oh no! I forgot that not everyone can survive at high altitudes! Flygon, dive!" Meanwhile, he plonked May in front of him so she did not slip off. May was already unconscious. Suddenly, Drew lost his grip on May and she went falling into the dark world below.

"NO! Flygon, dive down at full speed!" What came next was a dizzy drop. Drew didn't care; he was close to May already. Reaching out one arm, he grabbed May by the wrist. This reminded him of the time the two of them had fallen off the cliff, and saved by a bunch of Wyanuts. "Brake, Flygon!" but it was a little too late. They were going to crash…

"May? Are you all right? Please wake up." The voice sounded distant. May didn't want to get up; it was nice and warm lying down. Suddenly, she thought of Max, and she _knew_ who was calling her, or she thought she did. Her eyes shot open. Drew's face slowly came to focus.

"Oh…it's you." May was a little disappointed. Suddenly, Max's face drifted into her mind's eye again. "Have you found Max? Where is he?" Seeing Drew shake his head, she shouted, "So you don't care about him! I might just as well have come by myself! I hate you!" Tears rained down her cheeks and she ran off angrily.

"Wait! I don't even know where we are, let alone find Max! And you fainted and fell off Flygon's back, if you haven't noticed! That's why we landed! Not to mention Flygon almost crashed into this building, because we were trying to get you! And now you're just _blaming_ me for everything! I shouldn't have gotten myself in this mess!"

The two glared at each other. Finally May's expression softened. "Sorry…I…I was too worried about Max…sorry for shouting at you…" she mumbled.

"It's alright." Drew smiled. "Now the most important thing is to find Deoxys, and Max. Er…May?"

May wasn't listening. Instead, she was staring at something behind Drew. "I…don't think we need to find Deoxys, Drew," she stuttered.

"But why? Don't you want to find Max?"

"Drew," May breathed, "Deoxys'…Deoxys' behind you."


	6. Chapter 6: Encounter with Deoxys

Chapter VI—Encounter with Deoxys

Drew couldn't believe his ears. "What?" he turned around involuntarily and his stomach gave an unpleasant lurch.

Deoxys.

Now he fully got to see how it looked like. A big, towering creature that looked like the complete opposite of a strand of DNA, or a virus. Its face was shaped like a keyhole, with two small, beady eyes and no visible mouth. Its tentacle-like arms were twisted in a double-helix fashion—the only evidence of resembling a strand of DNA. And behind it, though nothing was supporting him, but it was evident that he had been held up by some kind of psychical force, was……

May groaned softly.

Max was being suspended in mid air, his body surrounded by a glowing blue light. His face was expressionless. One would certainly have thought he was sleeping if not for the unearthly glowing light. Behind him, many young children were kept in what looked like invisible chambers, and screamed when they seemed to touch some invisible wall.

"Max! Max! Please don't b-be dead!" May screamed hysterically and charged at Deoxys, but met an invisible barrier and was thrown backwards.

"_He is alive, but not for long,_" a deep voice sounded in their brains. Drew heard May's gasp and knew what this meant; Deoxys was speaking directly to their mind.

"D-don't you dare hurt Max!" May trembled a little, but her voice was defiant.

A cold, booming laugh reverberated in their brains. "_Oh, daren't I! Well, let's see…_"

"No!" May screamed. "Anyway, what do you need all these children for? And how will they help you take over the world?"

"_By modifying their DNA and allowing them to mutate, they would grow up and be trained to hate normal humans! They will kill the humans, and finally the human race would be wiped out! Then I'll kill them, and Pokémon shall rule again! Genetics is so powerful!_" An evil glint appeared in his eye. _"But your puny brother here, he won't cooperate, and is very clever. So I thought of using him to help me, but oh no, he refused. So here I am, torturing him until he either dies or gives up. There is one way of saving him, however."_

"How?"

"_If you take his place and thus dying for him, he would be saved." _Deoxys had a hint of amusement in his voice.

"NO!" Drew shouted. "May, don't listen to him, it's a trap! Anyway, why do you want Pokémon to rule? Why do you want to take over the world and extinguish the human race? You're so evil!"

Deoxys cackled. "_Take over? No, I'm just taking back what I rightfully own. It was you puny humans who stole OUR world from US! And if you're talking about _real_ evil, it's you! You humans who destroyed our homeland!"_

"Oh yeah? What proof have you got?"

"_Well then, I shall tell you a little story._

_Long time ago, when The Creator first created the world, it also created us legendaries to rule over different aspects. Well, as you guess, I ruled over evolution." _He sounded as though he was recalling a sweet memory.

_"Then you filthy humans came along. You killed, burned and destroyed our homeland, and took over this world you destroyed of its original beauty._

_Most of us legendaries were forced to hide and go into a half-hibernation state. Some, of course, joined forces with you humans."_ His voice showed a hint of disapproval.

"_You invented these—pokeballs, trapping and capturing all of us. The weaker ones were confined to captivity forever. But you humans do not know—for years and years in outer space, I have been training myself, getting stronger and stronger, waiting…for this day when Pokémon shall rule again! We would rightfully get back what we have lost, and you humans shall suffer from my wrath!"_ he cackled evilly.

"_Enough talking,"_ he sounded impatient and serious, _"now make your decision, May. Either you go or he goes." _

author's note: yayy. tension? i bet you are. else you are too insensitive.


	7. Chapter 7: Deoxys Showdown!

Chapter VII—Deoxys Showdown!

May hesitated for a moment before walking closer to Deoxys obediently.

"No! It's his trick, don't believe him!" shouted Drew. "Don't believe him!"

_"Come quickly, or your little brother gets hurt…"_ Deoxys taunted.

May continued to walk towards Deoxys, mechanically. Drew grabbed her and tried to pull her back. She wrung off his grip.

"No, you don't understand!" she yelled, half-crying. "Just because you're the only child, you don't know how it feels to see your brother being tortured! LET GO!"

Finally she managed to break free. Deoxys, with a cold, high-pitched laugh, dropped Max and picked up May. Drew could almost see the life being sapped out of her.

"Oh NO YOU DONT!" Drew whipped out Absol's Pokéball.

_"Now, careful…one move and your little friend here's going to be—"_

Drew was too fast for him. A Shadow Ball had already lunged at Deoxys, knocking him down. For one moment the blue light around May vanished, but the next moment Deoxys was on his feet, his formed changed to look like a hunched pokémon, and the blue glow reappeared.

"Good, Absol! Now Slash!" Absol's claws gleamed as it aimed for Deoxys, but this time he was ready; he started glowing and upon contact with him, Absol was thrown backwards.

"Come on, Absol!" Drew encouraged, but Absol was panting heavily; Deoxys was simply too powerful. Drew suddenly spotted something_—_ Combusken's pokéball.

_Well, it's worth a try,_ Drew thought. Releasing Combusken, he commanded, "Absol, use Razor Wind! Combusken, I know you're not my pokémon, but use Flamethrower!"

He concentrated, every cell in him begging, praying_…_For one moment he thought Combusken listened, and before he knew it, both Combusken and Absol had released the strongest attack he had ever seen. The two attacks combined to from a fiery blade, sliding through the air, seeming to melt up everything it passed. Deoxys let loose a burst of energy, forming a protective field around it. But the two attacks seemed to be too powerful and sliced its way through the protection, finally landing on Deoxys, who was thrown back. Once again, the glow around May disappeared. Drew ran over and tried to wake her up, but suddenly felt the two of them being lifted into the air. He looked up and saw Deoxys, a look of triumph on his face.

_"Now you can't do anything about it! And I shall let you learn a small lesson, for this is what happens when you try to oppose the Great Deoxys, who was created directly by the Creator, Arseus!" _he cackled evilly.

The next thing Drew felt was excruciating pain. It was as though someone was sending jolts of electricity through his body; his head was throbbing painfully, and his heart seemed to be bursting. His whole body felt like it was being compressed. He managed to glimpse at May, whose eyes were wide open in horror now, and knew that she had the same experience as him. The last of what he saw was Absol and Combusken launching weak attacks at Deoxys, before the world dissolved into a dark abyss of nothingness.

The whole world was in a daze. Max opened his eyes a little larger, but he had no more strength to do anything more than that. However, a scene of terror flooded his eyes. He could just make out Deoxys and Absol and combusken, Deoxys' body a streamlined form, dodging Absol and Combusken's attacks swiftly while weakening both of them with cleverly launched attacks. But what terrified him most was that there were two people being suspended in the air by Deoxys—a boy with silver green hair and a girl who definitely was his sister.

"_Drew! May!" _he called out in his mind, "_Hang in there! I'll help!" _but what could he do apart from to watch this scene?

Finally, with a blast of psychical power, both Absol and Combusken were thrown backwards. Absol managed to stand up again; psychic attacks had no effect on him. However, Deoxys, now assuming an Attack form, lunged directly at Absol and at the same time aimed a jolt of lightning at Absol, who dodged the physical attack, but not the electric one. An array of what looked like sharp-edged stars then sprayed from Deoxys, and with its tentacle-like arms, it grabbed the Absol with several gashes along its body and performed what looked like a Seismic Toss. Absol crashed down, and did not get up.

Deoxys now resumed to the two suspended trainers and started sapping what looked like their genetic material and aura out if them. Max watched, stupefied, not knowing that Deoxys had made his fatal mistake—by sapping genetic material out of both of them at the same time, he had created a bond between the two of them, a bond too strong for him to withstand…

And suddenly, it happened.

The bond between May and Drew had become so strong that it formed some sort of a Destiny Bond—but this Destiny Bond attacked, at the same time, both released a ray of light, and the rays met before striking Deoxys. For one moment Deoxys' body glowed brightly, and its yells filled Max's head, then the next moment everything stopped. Deoxys had vanished; all that remained was a purple crystal, brighter and clearer than any crystal, and somehow shone with a light of purity Max had never seen before. Then, a bright beam descended from the sky, sucking up the gem. Then, when the light faded, all was left were May and Drew, unconscious on the floor.


	8. Chapter 8: Free at last!

Chapter IX—Free at Last!

"Drew! Are you all right?" Drew could feel a hand shaking his shoulders vigorously.

He opened his eyes a little. The light was so dazzling that he had to close them again. When he got used to the light, he forced his eyes open. Max's profile came in and out of focus.

"Max!" Drew managed to croak, "Where are we? Is May all right?"

Max shrugged. "I tried waking her up, she won't wake. We're still in Deoxys' den…but Deoxys' not here. He…went off."

"But why?" Drew gave a quizzical look. "And what drove it away?"

"It's a long story," Max started and began reciting everything he had seen, from the moment he woke up. The next few minutes were spent in silence, except for Max's voice which echoed through the quiet corridors. When he finished his story, he saw Drew's jaw drop.

"Does—does that mean—May and I drove away Deoxys?" he said quietly.

"I guess so," Max said.

The two fell into silence. Drew's brain was still confused. _I drove away Deoxys? That sounds—impossible. But Max didn't lie…_he stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a soft moan.

"May!" Max exclaimed. "Are you okay?" He ran over to his sister.

"Well, sort of," May groaned again. "Ouch—I think I broke my leg."

Drew got up a little. It was true—May's leg was red and swollen. At any rate, she couldn't walk now. Having regained energy, he walked over and examined May's leg.

"I don't think it's broken," he reasoned. "But you did sprain it quite badly—only the ankle is swollen, and you still can move a bit. But you surely can't walk."

"Oh, great," May said sarcastically. She struggled to sit up. "Now what? I want to get out of here. Fast."

"Back to Flygon, then," Drew said cheerfully. "The three of us can go back and inform the police—they'd get the other kids out of here." There was a flash of red, and Flygon hovered above them. "Quick. Get on." He heaved May up; Max climbed up, then him. "Okay, hold on tight. Here goes—"

"You think we'll ever see May, Max and Drew again?" Ash said gloomily. "We've lost contact with them for a day, and even if we found them, there's a slim chance they're going—going to be…" Ash swallowed. "Alive."

"You're probably right, you know," Brock said in a small voice. "Deoxys' too powerful…"

Ash suddenly jumped. "Tell me, Brock…is it just my imagination, or is there really a Flygon hovering in the air? That tiny speck there?"

"Of course it's a Flygon, what do you think—" Brock broke off. He suddenly understood what Ash meant. Could it be—?

"Drew's Flygon! It must be!" Ash waved at it enthusiastically, as the speck steadily grew larger and larger, until he could see Drew, May and Max clearly. The three waved back and soon landed.

"Where have you been? Did you find Deoxys? And—how _did_ you get out of there—alive?" Ash asked eagerly.

"Explanations later. There's still a whole bunch of kids trapped at Deoxys' Den—I need to inform the police. Take care of May, she sprained her ankle. Max, you'd better come too." Drew and Max disappeared without another word.

"Actually I don't know what happened either, after I fainted. The two haven't told me yet." May seemed annoyed by the barrage of questions Ash and Brock were firing at her. "What I _do _need now is to get a bit of rest and fix my ankle."

"So _that_ was what happened?" May stared in disbelief. "You two aren't kidding?"

They were at the Pokémon centre, May with her leg wrapped in layers of bandages, Max with a bandage over his nose and Drew with one on his arm.

"Though it sounds a little ridiculous, but I guess you are telling the truth." Officer Jenny was a little confused. "Anyway, we have to thank the three of you for helping us. All the children have now been found and sent home." She edged a little away from Brock, who was obviously trying to get her attention. "Well, I guess it's time for me to leave. Goodbye."

"Wow…"Ash was daydreaming. "Cool, tell you what, tomorrow I'll challenge Anabel again, and get that symbol. Then we can go back to Hoenn."

"Well, see you guys soon. I'd better go." Drew flipped his hair casually and walked off, but not before he threw a rose that landed perfectly on May's lap. Unfortunately he turned away too quickly, not being able to see the look of delight on May's face.


	9. Chapter 9: Beginning of a New Journey

Chapter IX—Beginning of a New Journey

Once again May was standing on a beach, but this was the beach of La Rousse. Ash had successfully achieved his symbol; they would be returning to Hoenn next morning before 8am. _Would Drew be going too?_ She wondered to herself. _Maybe he won't go to Hoenn…or maybe he's already at Hoenn. _She flung a handful of sand into the air. _Ash got what he wants again…why can't I just get what I want? But it's just so hard to tell him…_

She stroked the rose she had received yesterday against Skitty's soft fur. Somehow, their combined attack against Deoxys struck her…could it have been due to something? She had always heard the saying, "Never underestimate the power of love"…Unexpectedly, another rose landed suddenly on her lap.

"Drew! You haven't gone to Hoenn yet?" May knew who he was even before she turned around.

"Nah, I missed today's ship. Going on tomorrow morning's." Drew looked at her enquiringly. "When're you going?"

"Tomorrow morning's ship too." May had difficulties concealing the excitement in her voice. Drew smirked.

"Why so excited all of a sudden?" he was taunting her.

"Oh, shut up," May snapped an angry retort. "I just can't wait to see Hoenn again," she blurted out the first excuse she could think of. "The sunset there's much nicer."

"Do you know it's the _same_ sunset wherever you see it?" Drew sounded a little disapproving. "By the way, I want to tell you something."

May's heart suddenly started pumping very hard; she looked up hopefully. "What?" She tried to sound casual.

Drew's deep emerald eyes stared hard into May's sapphire ones. "Well, I don't know what made me say it…but…I…" he looked away. "…like you." He could feel his face growing warm, and glimpsed at May's facial expression. It was unreadable. _I messed this up now…thanks to Ash…_Giving up on his hopes, he walked off. Just then, he felt two arms encircle him. May seemed to be half sobbing with exasperation.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to say that, but did not have the courage? I've been waiting for you to say that too…" May sounded so happy, yet she was still sobbing.

Drew turned around and pulled May into a real embrace. When they finally broke apart, Drew said in a small voice, "Well…see you on the ship tomorrow, then." He smiled warmly, a real smile, not the usual smirk he gave her, before disappearing, like the setting sun.

From afar Ash watched the two, and a stabbing pain suddenly came to his heart as he thought of somebody. Heaving a great sigh, he watched the red fireball dip below the horizon, not knowing that somewhere in Kanto, someone was sharing the same sunset as him.

--

A/N: yeah! Finally i pronounce it finished! sigh i had probs uploading...and i know the ending's weird, but i am NOT writing a sequel. On the bright side, i have drafted a new oneshot called "Life of a Pokemon" which is an angst story...i am not good at romance, so this turned all adventure--sided, only a bit of romance at the start and end. I have also started on a space-warp story that is a little based on the original legend of Pokemon about Arseus and stuff, but mostly made up and edited. so do NOT believe in it, just read it as a Fantasy/Action/Adventure and maybe a little Suspense. oh i realised that all separators i typed in weren't visible, sorry about that hehe. --


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